Just finished reading the Scientific American article. Found it fascinating, although this research has been around for a while. It helps explain the universality of religious experience. It appears that virtually all cultures, from the most primitive, to the least primitive,share a need for establishing forces outside of themselves to explain their existence. The question remains for me why are we ‘hard-wired’. How does this experience advance us as a species? Any thoughts?

Haven’t seen the article. I believe that we, like all other animals, are hard wired to condition extremely easily. Some things happen at the same time and we quickly associate all of them with each other. This is a great survival mechanism, but it also causes us to jump to irrational conclusions. In addition, we have the need to avoid unanswered questions. Whenever we see something we don’t understand, we are quick to come up with a reason (often mythological) for it. This is just an extension of the conditioned reflex. And, I believe that’s the basis on which religions are developed.

I agree that we are easily conditioned, especially when cortisol triggers our fear response. I believe that ‘higher powers’ were created to help control that extreme anxiety in the face of life threatening danger. It’s ironic that so called lesser beings manage to make it through their lives without the need to assuage their fears like Humans do.

Gee, I never thought of myself as a “higher power”. When I open the patio door for my cat to go out, it sticks its nose out smells the air, and very cautiously, looking all around, moves onto the back patio. She’s had experience running into raccoons and skunks in the evening (never sprayed), and occasional aggressive peacocks during the day. In each case I saw it, I stepped out, grabbed a leaf rake, and chased the animal away (rocks from a distance for the skunk). If, when I open the door, I step out onto the patio, she quite confidently runs out without her normal wary behavior. I’m happy to assuage my cat’s fears, just so long as she worships me for the moment (since cats usually seem to be inherently atheistic).